Kabul airport taxiway to be launched

Construction on the international standard taxiway at the Kabul airport was launched on May 22, 2012. The project, funded by Japan, is worth USD 27 million (1350 millions afs).

The taxiway would be 44 meters wide and 5.4 kilometers long, said Minister of Transport and Aviation Dawood Ali Najafi at the inaugural ceremony.

Japanese ambassador to Afghanistan, Reiichiro Takahashi, saw the need to fund this project, as the airport currently does not meet international standards.

Japan would announce it is long-term assistance to Afghanistan at the Tokyo International Conference, scheduled for July 8.

Japan went through the devastating tesunami of last year. Nevertheless, it has continued support to Afghanistan and has promised to contribute 5 billion dollars to Afghanistan in new commitments. Japan’s commitments of assistance at Tokyo, London and Paris Conferences amount to $2 billion, which, with the recenlty declared assistance of $5 billion, totals to $7 billion.

According to the ambassador, Japan has provided $4 billion in aid, including $96 million for the transport and aviation sector, to Afghanistan over the past 10 years.